


In Twilight Hours

by LunesVenture



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 05:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15454101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunesVenture/pseuds/LunesVenture
Summary: Ardyn pops in as Noctis is having a vulnerable moment. Ardyn is his usual charming self and instead of snapping back, Noctis goes in for a cuddle. Ardyn is extremely disturbed to find himself hugging back.Written for aprompton FFXVKinkmeme.





	In Twilight Hours

* * *

Noctis found himself in the dark alone, heavy rain pouring down all around him and banging against the wooden structure above his head. Sitting on the cold steps, he hugged his legs close to his chest and hid his face in his baggy pants just as he was trying to suppress a particularly loud sob in his throat.

This really wasn’t his finest day.

After yet another day of aimless wandering and asking around for the location of the stolen Regalia, he and his retinue came up with nothing other than wasted time and money.

After the rather intense events at the Disc of Cauthess, the Regalia simply vanished into thin air. Considering they left the car behind an imperial blockade, it wasn’t a stretch to assume she was discovered and confiscated by the Niflheim Empire during the Titan battle. They themselves didn’t have any chance to get out of there with their skins intact if they hadn't accepted the Imperial Chancellor’s offer of a safe passage from a Niffs infested territory.

They ended up being dropped far off the beaten path from the Disc, which was at best a huge inconvenience and at worst a backwards step for the entire journey. Some of them voiced their displeasure but Chancellor Izunia insisted on it, claiming that leaving them anywhere near the scene of the crime will only serve to draw more suspicion to all of them and was thus giving them ample time to disappear off their radar for the time being. Noctis didn’t think it mattered anyway, as they were all on Niflheim’s hit list anyway regardless of their involvement and Ardyn appeared to have enough pull with the army to talk his way out of trouble.

Not to mention the older man seemed to shadow them for some other purpose anyway and sometimes appeared at their destination faster then they ever could, so it’s not like hiding will work for any considerable amount of time.

The Disc of Cauthess was put under strict imperial lockdown and nobody could get in or out without being shot on sight, so that place couldn't be ruled out quickly enough. The only good piece of information they did overhear was that the car was moved to a secure location... they just didn’t know where.

Cindy was kind enough to look into it through her own contacts, but she warned them it would take some time, especially if it involved the Niffs. She offered to lend them one of the Hammerhead cars in the meantime, but Noctis refused - a decision his friends tended to side-eye him about it ever since. If anything, they could have gotten around faster and certainly have an easier time hunting for any sort of information regarding the Regalia.

He argued it just wouldn’t be the same.

This evening was the worst affair though - the moment when he finally reached his breaking point.

“So, what’s eating you?” Prompto would ask simply, noticing the prince hasn’t been very talkative these past few days. The headaches might have stopped but finding the car ended up being an even bigger headache.

“It’s been days,” Noctis said with an exasperated sigh, sick and tired of waiting for any new developments from Cindy or from anyone else for that matter, pacing up and down the length of the camper. “How hard it is to find one damn car?”

“Patience is a virtue, Noct,” Ignis chimed in, looking up from his game of solitaire. “If she wasn’t destroyed during the trial, she will turn up eventually. The Empire most certainly have their hands in Regalia’s disappearance and once we find the exact location, we will gladly retrieve her from them.”

“Yeah and how long’s that gonna take?” the prince only rolled his eyes, not expecting they’ll just have to walk in and drive her out. He was getting desperate and it showed massively to the point the others were getting worried or annoyed. “We need her back and fast. We need her to get to Cape Caem because she’s the one thing that's keeping up afloat and she’s always there for us and she’s a part of this team just as much as any of us and she’s just like my-”

It was after that aimless rant the prince found himself on the edge of tears for some reason, looking away from the others in sheer embarrassment. Though he couldn’t see him, Prompto gave him a somewhat awkward stare.

On the other hand, Ignis looked at him weirdly and asked with a slightly concerned tone. “Noct, have you been drinking?”

Before he could ask the bespectacled man whatever the hell gave him that idea, Gladio just threw him the biggest gut-shot he could think of.

“We lost Insomnia and our families to the Niffs out there,” he said harshly, the displeased look on his face apparent and unforgiving. “And here you’re bitching about a goddamn car. Sit down and get over it already.”

Noctis might have called him an asshole or a bastard or something to that effect. He couldn’t really remember what exactly because in the next moment he was already rushing out of the camper and straight into the pouring rain outside.

He sighed massively as he found himself completely chilled to the bone the moment the anger welling up inside him subsided.

He really needed to learn some self-control one of these days.

It wasn’t completely dark outside. The Wiz Chocobo Post, like the rest of establishments outside of Insomnia, had the common sense of leaving strong lights on to fend off daemons that got too close for comfort. Apart from him, there was nobody around anymore, having left home or retired for the long night ahead. Everything around him was quiet, the chocobos sleeping soundly under their makeshift tents in spite of the heavy rain beating down in droves.

Enveloping his arms around his chest to keep himself warm from being suddenly drenched in rainwater, the prince hurried to the main building of the post and sat down on the low stairs leading up to the closed store.

The guys, they were his brothers, confidants and everything in between but they just didn’t get it.

The Regalia wasn’t just a vehicle. She was the only connection he had left to his old man whom he’s never going to see again. He’s never going to listen to his advice, feel a comforting hand on his shoulder or just let him know if he’s going in the right direction. He didn’t even have a chance to say a proper goodbye to him or anyone else who lost their lives in the invasion.

If that was childish, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

It was a strange feeling, having no home to return to. The Regalia was the closest thing to Insomnia they had right now and he could care less if the others didn’t think so.

He sighed heavily, curling up into a pathetic ball of pity as best as he could. The prince needed to clear his thoughts first before going back to sleep... not that he thought he’d be able to anyway.

At least he was glad nobody was around at this time at night to see him falling apart like this.

“Isn’t it past your bedtime, Your Highness?”

A quiet grunt escaped his throat, having spoken too soon. Somehow, he managed to miss the heavy footsteps closing in from behind him. Actually, he didn’t think he heard them at all and despite being here for hours, none of them actually saw Ardyn in the general vicinity, but he didn’t exactly think about it too much at a time like this. The older man walked by his side, crouching down on his level but the prince kept his face hidden.

He didn’t want to deal with Izunia right now. He was already feeling miserable and angry enough without him trying to stir up shit.

The Chancellor of Niflheim leaned one of his hands against his chin as he questioned in a soft but taunting fashion. “Oh dear, what trouble pesters the Crown Prince now? It’s not the Regalia, is it? It’s quite tragic seeing how helpless you and your retinue are without her.”

Bracing his trademark smirk in an expectation of a snark or some sort of comeback, the redhead just waited and waited and waited for something to blow all over him... but nothing came of it in the end. He expected shouting, anger, maybe some witty banter back and forth but there was just nothing to work with here. Noct stayed completely silent. He didn’t even turn to look at him and that wasn’t the way their purely accidental meetings usually went.

For a moment, Ardyn actually appeared concerned when he tilted his head to get a better look at him, but Noct would just huddle up to his knees even further.

“If I could help, I surely would. However, the Imperial Army is certainly entitled to confiscating foreign objects on their property,” he explained with a pinch of self-grievance in his tone, making it sound at least halfway believable. “I can’t even order them to tell me about it. Such is my humble and lowly position. You understand, don’t you?”

There were other ways of going around that, like subtle persuasion with some vintage Lucian wine or putting in a good word to Emperor Aldercapt. But at the moment he was having a lot of fun seeing the royal quartet stumble across their own feet without their precious vehicle. Diabolical and petty one might say, but he’s been starving for some quality entertainment after all these years.

Noctis didn’t say anything. He was wondering if he was even listening to him or just outright ignoring him in an attempt to make him go away.

Still, it appeared Noct wasn’t in the mood for games tonight.

For the first time in his life, Izunia wasn’t actually sure what to say after that display of indifference and negligence toward his being, displeased at the prospect of being ignored so callously. He considered taking his leave, as it was apparent he won’t be getting any delight in badgering the future king tonight. Kicking him while he was already down of his own volition just wasn’t a great motivator as he did want Noct to eventually succeed in his goals.

In the end, he just sat down right beside him with a sigh, taking on a rather sympathetic angle instead as he knotted his fingers together in his lap. Seeing the prince this distraught over something as simple as a missing car wasn’t something he particularly expected. The Regalia must have been an enormously special vehicle to elicit such a drastic response.

Quite extraordinary, as he didn’t take him for a type to be all that interested in vehicles. Really, the only thing Noctis seemed to be interested in was fishing and sleeping.

“You miss her that much?” he asked with a near whisper, snorting sympathetically. The Regalia wasn’t Ardyn’s type, but he could still admire a damn fine piece of machinery whenever he saw one.

A sniff left the young man’s nose, rubbing his head against his arms as if to answer. He clearly didn’t want to say anything of substance, as having Gladio go off on his ass like that already pissed him off and he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to pour out his grievances to an enemy commander.

“Oh, if my poor girl got herself spirited away by evil men I too wouldn’t be much for conversation,” the chancellor bumped lightly into his shoulder, trying to lighten the mood a bit because the tumultuous atmosphere was beginning to feel too dull for his liking. “Who knows what I would’ve done to get her back.”

Actually, he knew exactly what he would do.

Cut the unlucky bastard’s insides out with his dagger and feed him to the daemons. He didn’t think that was too harsh at all. It was probably his least creative idea on how to deal with scum like that.

Noctis lifted his head a bit but still wouldn’t look at him. He just ran his arm across his eyes to get rid of the incoming mistiness and exhale a shaky breath. Ardyn wasn’t in the business of handing out any real compassion to anyone, especially to his perceived enemies, but he had to admit that finding someone else with such a great attachment to their car was actually quite exciting.

“People these days, they just don’t seem to appreciate their cars anymore,” Izunia mused with a disappointed tone, folding his arms over his chest with a slight pout. “Back in my day, acquiring a vehicle for the first time was an enormous responsibility. All these youngsters nowadays just tend to crash into the first tree they see instead.”

Surprisingly enough, Noctis left out a chuckle at that, a coughing sniffle caught in his throat. Considering he was one of those youngsters once upon a time, that actually felt pretty accurate. He finally revealed his face, his hands rushing in quickly to brush at his stinging eyes and awkwardly avoiding Ardyn’s amused stare, quite embarrassed by how messed up and puffy his face looked. He’d have a fit if anyone else saw him like this and he was sure he won't be hearing the end of it from the redhead if their paths cross ever again.

Despite the fact the prince was still upset, he was actually listening to what the older man had to say, which was usually a practice in patience and occasional anger management. Hearing the chancellor talk about something mundane for a change was actually not as bad as he thought it would be. It certainly beat creepy nursery rhymes.

“It warms my heart seeing you care as much as you do,” Ardyn crossed his hands over his knee, his expression unusually benign. “You truly are a cut above the rest, my boy.”

For a moment, he actually meant what he said. In his eyes, the Chosen King was still weak, inexperienced and naive, but he could give him at least some credit where it was due.

Noctis felt tears well up again at the corners of his eyes, though unsure if it was in response to the man’s unbelievably genuine tone or just the small chance of never seeing the Regalia again. He was tired and wet and he just didn’t want to think about it anymore.

Without really thinking about it and knowing this was a bad idea all around, the moment he felt the floodgates open again, the prince lunged at the man and buried his face into a pristine white shirt.

When the redhead felt something hard and wet press against his chest, his brain immediately stopped functioning. It took him a full minute to even consider looking down, finding the future king sobbing and crying into him.

“Uh...” was just about the only sound Ardyn could make, completely thrown out of his element.

He found himself stiff as a board and somehow didn’t dare to move despite the fact he honestly should because this is not what he had in mind for the prince. The older man made himself unapproachable and outright disliked through his carefully performed attitude and body language - just the way he liked it. He made it very clear he wasn’t the person to go cry to, because he was more likely the one who made you shed tears in the first place.

He hesitantly lifted his hands over the young man, leaving them hovering over his back as if deciding if he should just push him straight into the mud. That should have been his first thought, because the Imperial Chancellor hated the thought of Noctis finding any sort of comfort in him. The only thing he should inspire within the Chosen King was distrust and hatred.

This wasn’t a part of his plan and he really shouldn’t be allowing anything to ruin this for him. He’s waited far too long for a final resolution to his existence to screw up now.

Before his conscious brain could decide on a best course of action, his arms were already embracing the boy by themselves and rubbing comforting circles into his back. The chancellor couldn’t recall doing this and he cursed himself mentally for giving in those basic emotions he discarded so long ago.

Still... it didn’t feel so bad. But he was sure his shirt was going to be a mess of tears and snot after this. That’s what he should focus on instead. Not on how warm Noctis was or how long he’s denied himself any physical contact with a normal living being. How it used to feel good to comfort somebody and get nothing in return or treat old wounds at the price of his own being.

Ardyn exhaled heavily... what was he getting himself into?

“Oh, come now, Your Highness,” allowing himself the opportunity to card through the boy’s damp hair and feel the long forgotten texture between his fingers, the older man rested his chin on top of his head and mused lightly. “Tears never solve anything. I should know that better than anyone.”

Noctis gripped the front of his shirt, continuing to weep silently but he appeared to calm down at least somewhat. It was hard to think he had anything to do with it though.

“However, if it helps...” Ardyn said with a soft chuckle. “Then cry away.”

The prince sucked in a deep breath and quivered his lips, absentmindedly thumbing the fabric under his fingers and clinging onto Ardyn like a lifeline. Despite the fact this was a monumentally stupid decision, it turned out just fine in the end. Although still disconcerted about having to seek solace from an enemy, he found he really didn’t really care and just wanted to bury his tears into something solid. If anything, it was at least enough to get it out of his system and the older man seemed alright with it, so it didn't seem like a big deal.

As much of a weirdo the redhead was, he more or less hit the nail on the head when it came to the car. It was somewhat comforting to know not everyone was mocking or disregarding his feelings toward the Regalia, as unconventional as they were. Though he wasn’t sure if he’s going to be able to face the older man afterwards without a bout of awkwardness washing over him from remembering that he cried into his shirt.

On the other hand, he was becoming awfully sleepy. His eyes stung like crazy and his nose was filled to the brim with snot, but the tears have subsided for now and he didn’t think he had the energy to continue going on like this.

So he cuddled up to the Imperial Chancellor for a nap. This surely won’t come back to haunt him in the worst possible way, but he’ll deal with it later. The sounds of the heavy rain slowly dissipated in favor of an irregular heartbeat and an unexpected warmth, leading him to relax completely against the unusual embrace.

Ardyn wasn’t sure when he came to again, with his arms still around the young man and hugging him tightly to his chest. In the meantime, the rain had weakened to a simple shower, barely even noticeable now.

He supposed he could expedite the search a bit. The older man hadn't really checked in with the recent confiscations, but the royal car was certainly among them. He would only need the location of the base and slip a tip to someone... maybe that jolly mechanic down at Hammerhead. She’s always taken good care of his old girl, so why not?

Resting his cheek on the top of Noct’s head, Izunia offered in a mild tone. “Let me make a proposition. If by some chance the Regalia is among imperial possessions, you have my permission to take it off our hands. What do you say?”

He didn’t get a response. Slightly baffled, the chancellor looked down on him only to take note of his slack form and deep breathing - the boy was fast asleep like a baby.

The redhead sighed heavily. Of all the kings, queens, warriors, magicians, diplomats, tyrants, scientists, philosophers, artists, poets and tax evaders he’s seen leading the Kingdom of Lucis through the best of times and the worst of times, growing and falling through conflict and peace... and yet everything ultimately depended on a narcoleptic teen who spends too much time on his phone playing video games.

He was getting too old for this and was infinitely grateful this entire story was slowly drawing to a close.

Best put the sleeping beauty to bed before his babysitters freak out and hurt themselves.

There’s still a long road ahead till the end game.

**Author's Note:**

> I suppose it's celebration time for having two weeks off work.


End file.
